


The Hipster and the Pine: A Love Story

by Murf1307



Category: Star Trek RPF
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fairy Tale, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-09
Updated: 2012-05-09
Packaged: 2017-11-05 01:59:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/400709
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Murf1307/pseuds/Murf1307
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Zachary is the castle gardener to a kingdom whose princess disappeared five years ago.  When he finds himself drawn to one of his charges, he discovers more than he bargained for.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Hipster and the Pine: A Love Story

**Author's Note:**

> Written due to a post on ontd_pinto about a character ZQ once played being in love with a flower.

Once upon a time, in the Land of Silver Lake, there lived a wise and gentle King, who had a lovely young son, so well-versed in the written word that he was called the Princess, rather than the Prince – for who had ever heard of a Prince who would rather cloister himself away in his rooms a-writing rather than the more traditional pursuits? Anyway, he was the most beautiful creature in all the land, and all the lands surrounding the Land of Silver Lake, with azure pools of ethereal beauty for eyes and a tongue that never seemed able to remain behind his full, pink lips.

But, alas, one evening, the Princess was stolen from his bed, and, for five years he could not be found. King Whitelaw, his father, declared with a heavy heart that he must indeed be dead, and so went on with his life with a hole in his heart – for no parent can truly recover from the loss of a child.

In the meantime, there came a traveler from the Land of Brotherly Love, far to the east of the Land of Silver Lake. He had a deep love of flowers, and, seeing that the King’s gardens had fallen into disrepair, obtained a job as the castle gardener. His name was Zachary, and he took to his job immediately. Dressed in tight denim pants and loose-fitting striped shirts, he could often be found watering, weeding, and tending to the plants. When he was not, he was reading, thick glasses giving him an intellectual air as he read expressively, thick brows drawing together, or raising, or his mouth twisting with the emotion of the characters.

A few months passed by with no real change, but that the garden was green and beautiful again. Then, one night in early June, Zachary found himself compelled to rise from his bed in the gardener’s house and walk amongst his charges. After a few minutes of aimless wandering, he found himself coming to rest beneath a beautiful, shady pine tree. It was almost a perfect specimen of its species, and he had previously noticed, but now he found himself marveling at it.

“Does it please you?” whispered a soft voice from over Zachary’s shoulder, barely heard even in this windless night.

Zachary stiffened at the voice, which was low and deep as well as quiet. “Yes. I wonder how it came to be here.”

A wind started up, seeming to wrap around him in the night. “It has always been here, but five years ago, my life was joined to it. I was taken by an evil witch, and she cursed me to be part of the tree. She said that nothing but true love could save me.”

Zachary breathed in sharply, leaning into the phantom embrace. “You’re the Princess, then.”

“Yes. They did call me that.”

“And you need true love to be saved from this fate.” Zachary felt the stirring of something deep in his mind, and wondered if perhaps, maybe, he had been meant for this. He was no prince, just a simple gardener with a love of poetry and riddles, but here he was, wrapped in the arms of a man who was not there, but still spoke to him.

“Yes.”

“And you think it could be me?”

“I hope that it is you.” There was a longing in the Princess’ voice, now. “I have never been in love, but I think you have…I…”

Zachary reached out in front of him, laying his palm flat against the rough bark of the tree, and murmured, “I wish I could know you.” It was true as love would have to be. He had heard rumors that the Princess here was a poet, and he seemed to love the garden, too – he had welcomed Zachary into it, and, even now, watched him.

“I want you to know me. I think I could love you, if we could know each other.”

“Am I supposed to kiss the tree?” Zachary mused.

The Princess laughed. “I’m not sure. The witch did not stay long enough to explain. But it cannot hurt to try…”

Zachary smiled, and, leaning toward the tree, gently pressed his lips to it. A jolt of electricity passed through him, and light flared in front of his closed eyes. After a few moments of this sensation, another overcame him; the sensation of being held.

But not, this time, by phantom arms made of gauzy wind, but by the flesh and blood of another man. He fluttered his eyes open and found himself kissing the Princess, who was alive and whole.

And, in an interesting twist of fate that Zachary could not bring himself to quite be ashamed of, he was as naked as the day he was born.

Suffice to say, they lived happily ever after.


End file.
